Whitley Heights 101

6516 Iris Drive

In June of 1923, builders Gylfe & Gustafson purchased the lot that fronted both Iris Drive and Cahuenga Avenue (back then) for $8,500 and then was issued a building permit to build the two-story Spanish style home. By February of 1924, the house was advertised for sale at $17,000 with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, sleeping porch, large roof garden, and one car garage below the home and were only asking for $4,000 down. They hired Whitley Heights architect, Arthur S. Barnes to design the residence.

There was no information on who was living in the home early on other than the Los Angeles Fire Department responding to a call to the residence on June 22, 1926 for “carelessness with gasoline”. Forty-one year old French actor Jean Perry moved into the home with his Korean “houseboy” in 1929 and remained in the home through 1934.

Jean Perry immigrated from France in 1898 when he was 14 years old and became a United States citizen in 1905. In 1919, he started the Poppy Comedies Corporation with Harry Leonhart, William L Sherrill, JR Grainger and Mack Swain made 15 one-reel comedies which featured the character “Ambrose”. The company was suspended in 1920 for failure to pay taxes.

He had just moved to Hollywood when Poppy Comedies was formed and was living in the Hotel Alexandria for two years. The twelve floor hotel opened in 1906 as an 8-story luxury hotel at the southwest corner of Spring and 5th Streets in downtown Los Angeles. During Perrys stay at the hotel, silent screen actress Annette DeFoe who appeared in “Cornered” starring Marie Prevost (1924) and “Indiscrete Corrine” starring Olive Thomas (1917) and actor Charles Elder, who was the school teacher in “Huckleberry Finn” (1920), were his neighbors.

After Poppies Comedies folded, Perry went to Herald Productions and worked with director and actor J.P. McGowen between 1921 and 1922 and co-starred in three western films. He then teamed with Edward Small to form their own production company and completed “Passion’s Pathway” in which Perry co-starred with Estelle Taylor.

By the time Perry moved to Whitley Heights in 1927, he had appeared in seven films and just completed a screenplay for Columbia Pictures called “The Belle of Broadway” which starred Betty Compson. While he resided in Whitley Heights, he appeared in a French film for MGM Studios called “Big House” in 1931 which starred Charles Boyer.

For Perry’s remaining years in the movie industry, he was type-cast as a French man and worked as a movie extra appearing in the French version of “The Merry Widow” starring Maurice Chevelier in 1934, “The Walking Dead” starring Boris Karloff in 1936, “Swing Time” starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in 1936, “Hollywood Hotel in starring Dick Powell and Rosemary Lane in 1937, and “The Three Musketeers” starring Don Ameche in 1939. During the 1940s and 1950s, Perry resided in San Francisco where he died in 1958.

Between 1936 and 1941, director Albert W. Plummer resided at 6516 Iris Drive, with his wife, Anna, and daughter, 24 year old Lois Plummer, an aspiring actress. In 1920, Plummer started Character Pictures with Tamar Lane which was headquartered in Florida. They had only produced one film before the company folded, “The Isle of Destiny”. In 1923, Plummer wrote and directed the adaptation of “Darkness and Daylight” for Bancroft Pictures. Plummer is pictured below directing the film.

Following his stint in the movie industry, Plummer owned a mining company but remained a Whitley Heights resident until his death in 1950. After residing at 6515 Iris Drive, the Plummers purchased the Phyllis Haver house, 6621 Emmet Terrace, in 1942.

After Plummer’s death, Lois inherited this house where she remained until 1961. Although Lois’ movie career never hit the ground, she was considered a socialite who took a month world cruise with her mother in 1935 and made the newspaper while the Plummers still resided at 6516 Iris Drive.

After moving to 6621 Emmet Terrace, Lois worked in cosmetic sales and continued to make the news. In 1947, she attended a party at bandleader Ted Fio Rito’s parent’s house and was bit by their dog.

In 1953, the feud between neighbor Floyd Hoelzel, 6615 Emmet Terrace and Plummer began after Snooky the cat died a year before. Plummer told the court that Snooky had been left with Hoelzel to care for the cat while another neighbor was out of town, but Plummer fed for the cat and then took it to the veterinarian when it became sick. Unfortunately the cat died but Hoelzel accused Plummer of stealing the cat and insisted the cat belonged to his son. One day, Hoelzel took a hose and sprayed Plummer threw here kitchen window so she went outside and fired back with her own garden hose. Plummer called the police after she realized her clothing was ruined. In wonder if Snooky the cat haunts the streets of Emmet Terrace.

As for 6516 Iris Drive, the house exchanged several other owners with one adding a bathroom in 1964. The house is currently assessed at $1.3 million and last sold 1982 for $127,000. There is probably work that needs to be done on the house.